Can Barbell Squats Ever Truly Be Replaced?

ucimigrate

Active member
Hi Everyone,

In my own personal anecdote, there simply is no substitute for barbell squats.

Overweight people need the metabolic activity that squats create.
Underweight people need the shock to the muscle system.
Everyone needs the basic strength.

I know many machines have failed, but none of them such as the Smith Machine can compete with the traditional barbell squat.

1. Can any exercise truly be a substitute?

I know bench press can probably be replaced with DB press, or even pushups.

Deadlifts can be replaced with kettlebell swings, etc.

2. Do we have any data on this?
 
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No they can not !!
 
*reads titles*

*types : NO*

*leaves thread*
 
Replaced for what?

Squats for leg development? Legpress works way better for my leg size. Squats for weight loss?

How about getting the diet sorted out instead of believing you can out-train overeating?

Shock the muscles? Lots of ways to gain size or strength. There are Mr. Olympia competitors & World’s Strongest Man competitors who no longer squat routinely.

I love the squat. I have squat over 600lbs in only a belt and knee sleeves in competition - it is probably my favorite lift to PR in. But, as a fellow squat-lover, I still must disagree with your points. It’s a great movement, but unless it’s actually what you are competing in there are other ways to accomplish those goals.
 
First, KB swings are absolute garbage for hypertrophy, and Id say strength as well. There’s no real loading of the muscle. You can clench your butt cheeks and contract it just the same.

Yeah, squats can be replaced if your focus is hypertrophy. Hack squats and leg presses would provide a better stimulus and reduce the overall fatigue you’ll get from squats.

If your goal is strength and to get better at squatting then ya, I wouldn’t replace squats.
 
Ok, so the general consensus is you can achieve good leg gains from other movements but you're smoking some good stuff if you think kettle bells can replace deadlifts, or even come close to the benefits of deadlifting... correct?
 
MikeSumthin said:
Ok, so the general consensus is you can achieve good leg gains from other movements but you're smoking some good stuff if you think kettle bells can replace deadlifts, or even come close to the benefits of deadlifting... correct?
Click to expand...

I would have to agree with that. If you want large increases in strength and mass, no amount of kb swings are going to rival deadlifting. The same way tricep pressdowns are a fine accessory, but never going to equal any form of actual pressing.
 
I believe in main lifts and assistance exercises … No reason to replace or dismiss anything if you’re physically capable of doing the lift.
 
Rad83 said:
I believe in main lifts and assistance exercises … No reason to replace or dismiss anything if you’re physically capable of doing the lift.
Click to expand...

Yes !
 
If I had access to a leg press I think I’d cut barbell squats out but it’s a no go, what I have been doing lately is heavy squats one day and moderate hip belt squats the other for higher reps and my recovery is improving allot more than bb squatting twice per week.
 
Replaced for who?
A Body builder? Yes
all non strength athletes? Of course


Basicly unless you are competing in doing barbell squats you can use alot of other movements to get very similar effects.

My pov is that if you can squat with a barbell then you probably should.

However alot of people cant do them without doing hours of mobility and prehab.
So its up to them IF its worth it or IF they should just replace them with other movements.
 
ucimigrate said:
Hi Everyone,

In my own personal anecdote, there simply is no substitute for barbell squats.

Overweight people need the metabolic activity that squats create.
Underweight people need the shock to the muscle system.
Everyone needs the basic strength.

I know many machines have failed, but none of them such as the Smith Machine can compete with the traditional barbell squat.

1. Can any exercise truly be a substitute?

I know bench press can probably be replaced with DB press, or even pushups.

Deadlifts can be replaced with kettlebell swings, etc.

2. Do we have any data on this?
Click to expand...

I don’t know about a complete substitute, but hex bar squats don’t take the same toll and really hit the quads hard, while still working hamstrings, lower back, core. These are somewhat similar to hack squats and can cause some pain around the knees around the lower quad insertion.

Also, landmine squats, ideally with a Viking attachment or the like, really isolates lower quads, while working the other muscle too. But I wouldn’t call the latter a reasonable substitute for all that a conventional squat does.

I haven’t searched out any data. I’d think there’d be some out there for the hex bar squats.

Good luck.
 
I wish I could still squat heavy !!
 
1. I am reading more about Dan John's "10,000 KB Swings" and others who have done variants.

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Invalid Link Removed

2. It looks like I can conclude the following:

Dan John shows that 24 kg for men is an ideal weight. Such a weight is a mix between resistance training and cardio.

At this weight, 100 swings a day is the minimum effective dose.
Also at an even heavier weight, 1,000 swings, for ten days, were the maximum tolerable dose.

3. Rather than minutes doing cardio, perceived exertion, or many other markers commonly studies, this is solely done by weight lifted vs. volume.

4. For the James Heathers study, there were five people.

The other four lost fat, and even gained some muscle.

James seemed to lose muscle, and gain fat. Then again, his glycogen content that was ordinarily filled might have gone done, and his diet may have been terrible for a few days.

This was only a ten-day study with five people.

If there had been more people involved, and it was something like 3 months or 100 days, it may be well different.

5. I only have a 20-kilogram bell. I will buy heavier, such as 20 kilograms or 32 kilograms, and see if I can do at least 100 a day, every single day.

I hope to tone up...a little more strength, a little more muscle mass, better range of motion and posture, less fat.
 
ucimigrate said:
1. I am reading more about Dan John's "10,000 KB Swings" and others who have done variants.

Invalid Link Removed
Invalid Link Removed

2. It looks like I can conclude the following:

Dan John shows that 24 kg for men is an ideal weight. Such a weight is a mix between resistance training and cardio.

At this weight, 100 swings a day is the minimum effective dose.
Also at an even heavier weight, 1,000 swings, for ten days, were the maximum tolerable dose.

3. Rather than minutes doing cardio, perceived exertion, or many other markers commonly studies, this is solely done by weight lifted vs. volume.

4. For the James Heathers study, there were five people.

The other four lost fat, and even gained some muscle.

James seemed to lose muscle, and gain fat. Then again, his glycogen content that was ordinarily filled might have gone done, and his diet may have been terrible for a few days.

This was only a ten-day study with five people.

If there had been more people involved, and it was something like 3 months or 100 days, it may be well different.

5. I only have a 20-kilogram bell. I will buy heavier, such as 20 kilograms or 32 kilograms, and see if I can do at least 100 a day, every single day.


I like the combination of KB swings, split squats and cable pullthroughs as a replacement for heavy squats ord deadlifts.

Swings are great for explosive hip extension.
However alone they miss alot of targets.

But IF you do split squats and pullthroughs with them then you get most of the benefits of a heavy squat.

I hope to tone up...a little more strength, a little more muscle mass, better range of motion and posture, less fat.
Click to expand...
 
I thought kettlebells were the dumb best thing in the gym for years but when I was coaching at a previous gym, before I bought my own gym, my senior coach paid for me to attend a KB course for a few days. It was extremely eye opening and I have become a believer. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT CORRECTLY USE A KETTLEBELL.

9 times out of 10, I use kettlebells to rehab shoulders, because I know how (now), and I've done this with athletes from age 18 to 68.

properly utilized I have seen KB's used to rehab power lifters and keep them in the game when they otherwise couldn't squat. and I'm talking about guys with decent numbers. One individual could not squat for a year, but did KB regularly and when he finally did get under the barbell again he had a 400+lb squat.

a 35lb kb isn't going to blow up your legs. we used 100+lb kb's and do a hell of a lot more than just swings. goblet squats, one legged deadlifts, weighted kb pistol squats, etc. all of these things will blow up your legs. pistols are a great accessory.

but most people have no idea how to properly swing a kb and that's why their back blows up but their legs feel unused.
 
MikeSumthin said:
Ok, so the general consensus is you can achieve good leg gains from other movements but you're smoking some good stuff if you think kettle bells can replace deadlifts, or even come close to the benefits of deadlifting... correct?
Click to expand...

no, I 99% disagree with this statement.
I don't think you should replace a 500lb deadlift with a 100lb kb, but the KB can definitely provide benefits when used CORRECTLY.

I challenge anyone here to pound out some 53-70lb kb pistol squats for sets of 10 and let me know how easy they were.
 
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